


Welcome

by domesticadventures, propinquitous



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Episode: s11e12 Don't You Forget About Me, F/M, Fluff, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 15:36:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6014350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/domesticadventures/pseuds/domesticadventures, https://archiveofourown.org/users/propinquitous/pseuds/propinquitous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam would be happy with just this, he thinks. Just being here and being part of this for a couple days, for as long as Jody is willing to put up with him.</p><p>But he’d also be happy with more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome

They finish their leftovers the first evening back at the bunker.

Well. What’s left of them. Most of the rolls disappeared during the drive.

They sit across from one another at one of their big library tables, both on their computers ostensibly doing research while they eat. Dean is frowning at his screen while he chews, but Sam, for his part, is making only a token effort at looking for signs of Amara. It’s not that he doesn’t care about finding her; he just can’t stop noticing how strange it feels to sit in silence during dinner.

He had only gotten in a single family meal with Jody and the girls, but it had been enough to make the alternative feel a little too quiet. A little lonely.

It’s not that he’s not happy here. He just can’t stop thinking about how happy he was -- how happy he still is -- that he had been included. It had been tense and awkward and he had loved every second of it.

He had felt, for a moment, like he was intruding. He’s always felt that way, he supposes. He remembers feeling it when he was still just a kid, sitting down for a rare meal at the house of one of the few friends he managed to make during his transient childhood. Like he was taking part in something that didn’t belong to him. That still doesn’t belong to him.

He had tried to excuse himself from the table, but Jody hadn’t let him. She insisted he stay. Insisted he be included.

He knows she wanted the backup, but he also wonders if she understands what it meant to him. If she knew how thrilled he had been to be counted as part of her family, even if only for a few days. To be allowed to sit at her table, to be trusted with Claire and Alex.

It’s not that he’s not happy here. It’s just, sometimes he feels like his entire life is one softly-delivered disclaimer after another. Jody hasn’t been consumed by it like he has, but she’s seen enough. She’s smart. She knows his history. She probably understood what it meant.

He’s even more grateful for that than for the leftovers. He had stood there with tupperware in hand, and as everyone said their fond goodbyes, he was filled with such warmth that he was half convinced he could reheat the food himself.

He had told both Claire and Alex they could text or call him any time if they needed him -- for help with a hunt, for someone to talk to, for anything. They had both rolled their eyes, but still, they hugged him tight when they said goodbye.

He had told Jody the same. She hadn’t rolled her eyes. She’d smiled like it was simply a given.

By the time they got back to the bunker, though, he had already started kicking himself for not realizing sooner that there’s a big difference between telling someone they _can _call and telling them you _want_ them to call.__

__He had wanted to ask her to call, but._ _

__But she’s already given so much. He doesn’t want to impose any further._ _

__So he sits in the silence of the bunker and looks for Amara, and when he and Dean start snapping at each other out of frustration over traveling down one dead end road after another, he looks for a hunt. They’ve been back about a week when they catch wind of what sounds like a chupacabra down in Texas, so they repack their bags and head out._ _

__They’re on hour seven of their drive when Sam’s phone vibrates with a text message._ _

__**Claire**  
**U know, u could come by sometime, like even when there isn’t a hunt or w/e** _ _

__Sam smiles as he taps out a reply._ _

__**I would like that.** _ _

__He hesitates, then sends another._ _

__**If it’s okay with Jody.** _ _

__In response, he receives two more texts in quick succession._ _

__**Claire**  
_**Oh I wouldn’t worry about that**  
**In fact, I’d bring condoms** _

__Sam nearly chokes on his own spit. Dean side-eyes him from the driver’s seat as he tries to cover it with a cough._ _

__Before he can even think how to respond, he gets another text._ _

__**Claire**  
**0:)** _ _

__By the time they’ve checked into a motel and Dean has gone out in search of food, Sam has worked up the courage to give Jody a call. She picks up on the second ring with a cheerful, “Hey, Sam.” And then, more concerned, “Everything all right?”_ _

__“Jody, hey,” he says, already feeling a little guilty. He wonders what it says about the frequency and cause of his calls that she automatically assumes something might be wrong. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just...look, we’re on a hunt right now, but I was thinking I might swing by once we’re done? Give you back your tupperware?” He says it like a question on purpose, just to make sure she has an out. To make sure he isn’t going to be causing her any hassle._ _

__She doesn’t take the out, though. Instead, she says, cheerfully, “Sure thing. We’d love to have you. It’d be nice to have you over when there are no lives on the line.”_ _

__Sam strongly agrees with her on that point. He huffs a laugh. “Sounds great,” he says. “This shouldn’t take more than a couple days, so I'll let you know when I'm on the way up.”_ _

__Unfortunately, Sam’s eagerness to get going doesn’t make the hunt go any easier any faster. In fact, it ends up being more difficult than they anticipated, taking a full week rather than only a day or two. The days drag by, the case repeatedly grinding to a halt only to pick back up at a slow crawl. Sam resentfully consumes one fast food or greasy diner meal after another. He feels like he spends the entire time mentally tapping his feet, and the sensation doesn’t stop once they start heading back to the bunker._ _

__When they finally pull into the garage and grab their bags from the trunk, Sam heads straight to the laundry room, tossing in a load before he hits the showers, switching it over to the dryer before he heads to bed._ _

__He wakes before Dean the next morning, but by the time he’s gone for a run that failed to quell his impatience and taken another shower, Dean is in the kitchen nursing a cup of coffee._ _

__“So I was thinking,” Sam says, by way of greeting, “it’s only about six hours to Sioux Falls. I figured maybe I'd make a quick trip up there. Say hi. Return Jody’s tupperware.”_ _

__Dean raises an eyebrow as he looks up from his paper. “We just got back and you’re gonna drive half the day to return some tupperware?”_ _

__He sounds skeptical, but not like he’s really looking for a fight, so Sam’s pretty sure he’s already won._ _

__Sam shrugs. “I'll bring you leftovers,” he says, and that’s all it takes._ _

__“You better,” Dean says, returning his attention to his coffee._ _

__Ten minutes later, Sam is out the door._ _

__He’s nervous on the way to Sioux Falls. The silence of the drive gives him too much time to think, to wonder if without the convenience of a hunt, they’ll have anything to talk about. To wonder if Claire’s texts were based not in truth but in wishful thinking._ _

__Sam would certainly understand that. He knows what it’s like to desperately want to see the people you love find a bit of happiness._ _

__He’s so busy thinking about it that he forgets to let Jody know he’s on the way. When he rolls into her driveway just after three, it finally occurs to him that Jody is probably still at work._ _

__**Got here a bit earlier than expected,** he texts. **I’ll find somewhere to hang out until you’re off work.**_ _

__**Don’t be ridiculous,** she replies. **There’s a spare key in the 2nd flower pot from the left, down in the water pan. Make yourself at home.**_ _

__The part of Sam that grew up fearing every bump in the night, every knock at the door, wants to scold her, but instead he finds himself smiling as he retrieves the key. He appreciates this about her -- that in spite of everything, Jody still refuses to live her life in fear. That she refuses to be so worried about letting things in that she risks locking people out._ _

__Sam lets himself in, tossing his bag in the spare room before venturing back out into the house to see what he can do to earn his keep. He starts by doing the dishes that were left behind from the morning rush out the door, then wipes down the counters and sweeps the kitchen. He’s in the middle of dusting the living room when Alex gets home from school._ _

__“Vacuum’s in the hall closet,” she says, tossing her backpack into a chair as she takes a seat at the dining room table to do her homework._ _

__When Sam finally runs out of chores to busy himself with, he grabs his laptop and joins Alex at the table, where they sit in companionable silence until they hear the sound of Jody’s truck pulling into the driveway._ _

__Any lingering worry dissipates as soon as Jody walks in the door and wraps Sam in a hug that’s just as warm and welcoming as ever. Once they’ve exchange their hellos and Claire has left to join Alex at the table, Jody says, “Hey, mind helping me get started on dinner? Long day today and we’re already an hour past when we usually eat”_ _

__“I, uh…” Sam starts. “I don’t have much experience in the kitchen.” She must know that, of course, based on his reaction to her food last time. Still, he feels the need to give the disclaimer._ _

__Jody simply laughs at him, not unkindly. “It’s casserole,” she says. “You can’t possibly screw it up.”_ _

__She makes her way to the kitchen, Sam trailing behind her. “Hey, I see you’ve been busy,” Jody says, pulling open the cabinets to gather ingredients for dinner. “Thanks, Sam.”_ _

__“No problem,” he says. “What can I do to help?”_ _

__Jody cheerfully gives him instructions as they move around each other easily. Sam, for his part, does his best to follow them to the letter. Before long, they have everything put together and in the oven. Jody sets a timer and leans against the counter, Sam following suit. They let their conversation wander as they wait for the food to cook, Sam telling Jody about his last hunt and Jody telling him how things have been going in the wake of _her_ last hunt._ _

__Claire and Alex appear as soon as the timer goes off, grabbing plates and silverware to set the table as Jody tosses Sam some potholders so he can pull the casserole from the oven. Everyone pitches in to finish carrying everything to the dining room, and before long they’re all settled in around the table, taking turns filling their plates._ _

__Sam takes his first bite of casserole with more than a little apprehension, but it’s rich and creamy and delicious, so he figures he must have done a pretty good job following Jody’s directions. He was worried for nothing, of course, because the whole dinner is great. There’s plenty to talk about, conversation flowing easily from one topic to the next, eventually leading to Jody beaming with pride as she talks about the girls._ _

__“Alex is still doing great in school,” Jody says, “and Claire’s been shadowing me at work. She has a real knack for it._ _

__“Turns out that even though Henry was an asshole vamp, all the other friends I made are like, actually my friends,” Alex says, shrugging as she stares down at her plate._ _

__“And turns out I can actually apply myself when I'm doing something I want to do,” Claire says, rolling her eyes. “Who knew.”_ _

__They’re both doing their best to hide it, but they’re doing a bad job of disguising the fact that they’re both glowing under the praise._ _

__Jody is glowing, too._ _

__Sam makes no such effort to suppress his own smile. “That’s great,” he says. “You should all be proud.”_ _

__Sam can see Claire smirking at him out of the corner of his eye. She and Alex share a _look_ and excuse themselves, and then it’s just him and Jody._ _

__Sam waits for the sound of their bedroom doors clicking shut and then starts, awkwardly, “So, uh. No pressure or anything, but I was wondering if you’d, um.”_ _

__Jody says, eyebrow raised but with a smirk playing at her lips, “Remember what I said? If we can’t talk about it…”_ _

__Sam chuckles, shrugging one shoulder as he casually says, “I brought condoms?”_ _

__Jody laughs at that. “Well, these dishes aren’t going to do themselves, so you can help me with that and then maybe tell me what you’d like to do.”_ _

__They clear the table, carrying everything to the kitchen, spooning the leftover casserole into a container and putting it in the fridge, then standing together at the sink, Jody washing the dishes while Sam dries them and puts them away._ _

__As she’s drying her hands on a towel, Jody says, “So?”_ _

__Sam would be happy with just this, he thinks. Just being here and being part of this for a couple days, for as long as Jody is willing to put up with him._ _

__But he’d also be happy with more._ _

__And Jody is going to make him say it._ _

__He knows that Jody knows he’s not in the habit of letting himself actually ask for things he wants. She’s not torturing him; she’s trying to teach him._ _

__Jody is like that, he thinks -- so inherently good that without even trying, she’s always making the people around her into better versions of themselves._ _

__Sam wants to be the kind of person that asks for what he wants._ _

__He takes a deep breath as he turns to face her._ _

__“I want to sweep you off your feet,” he says, “and I'd say that even if you already had bionic legs. I want to carry you to your room and lay you down and taste everywhere you’ll let me and touch everywhere you’ll let me. I want to memorize as much of you as I can so I have something to take home other than leftovers. I --”_ _

__“Sam,” Jody interrupts, smiling. “You wanna kiss me first?”_ _

__Sometimes, Sam is learning, when you ask for things, you find out that what you want is what other people want, too._ _

__He says, “Yes, please.”_ _

__Sam brings his hands up near Jody’s face, pausing before he actually touches her to whisper, “May I?”_ _

__Jody nods, smiling softly._ _

__Sam closes the rest of the distance between them, cradling her face in his hands, taking a moment to rub his thumbs over her cheeks, savoring the feel of her skin, of this new intimacy he’s been allowed, before leaning in to kiss her. He starts slow, pressing his mouth to hers softly as he slides his hands down over her neck, her shoulders, and finally down her arms until he’s holding her hands in his own. It’s only then that Sam finally parts his lips, teasing at Jody’s mouth with his tongue. She opens to him immediately, and Sam can’t help but grin into the kiss as he runs his tongue over her teeth. Jody tastes so _good_ \-- like the food they made together, sure, but also like something new, some flavor he’s never experienced before, something that’s purely Jody._ _

__When they finally break the kiss, they stand with their hands still clasped together, Sam leaning down and Jody with her face turned up so their foreheads are resting against one another, breathing one another’s air._ _

__Jody smiles with her eyes closed. “Well,” she says, squeezing Sam’s hands for emphasis, “the kitchen’s clean, but you’ve still got some sweeping to do.”_ _

__Sam is happy to oblige. He lets go of her hands and picks her up bridal style in one effortless motion. As he starts carrying her to the bedroom, Jody wraps her arms around his neck, kissing along his jaw. She teases at his ear with her teeth as he steps into the hallway, and the sudden pleasure of it catches him off guard, causes him to shift just enough that he winds up bumping her foot into the wall._ _

__“Shit,” he says, hoping he hasn’t already ruined this before it’s really gotten started. “Sorry, I --”_ _

__But Jody just laughs, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. “I'm fine, Sam,” she says. “Are you?”_ _

__He hopes the dim hallway hides his flush as he says, “I liked that.”_ _

__Jody says, voice completely flat, “You don’t say.”_ _

__They’re both still laughing as Sam sets Jody down on the bed, leaving her there only long enough to close the bedroom door before returning to straddle her uninjured leg. He leans down to kiss her, pulling back briefly to ask, “Can I touch --”_ _

__“Anywhere,” Jody interrupts. “Everywhere. The sooner the better, actually.”_ _

__Sam grins. “Likewise on all counts.”_ _

__Sam props himself on one arm, continuing to kiss her as he moves his free hand down her body, tracing his fingers over her collarbones, her breasts, her stomach as she slides her hands over his arms and shoulders. He fumbles for only a moment before he manages to unbutton her pants one-handed, sliding his fingers down under the band of her panties._ _

__At the first touch, Jody’s breath catches. “I liked that,” she says._ _

__“You don’t say,” Sam says, trying and failing to keep a straight face as he moves his finger further down. He watches her face as he ghosts a fingertip over her clit, her fingers tightening on his shoulder as she gasps._ _

__When he finally leans down to kiss her again, Jody slides her hand up from his shoulder and into his hair, tugging on a handful as she moans into the kiss._ _

__Sam’s hips jerk forward at that, erection pressing against Jody’s leg as his breath stutters._ _

__“Let me guess,” Jody says breathlessly, “you liked that.”_ _

__Sam huffs a laugh against Jody’s lips. She rolls her eyes affectionately, letting go of Sam’s hair to pluck at his shirts. She says, “Too many layers.”_ _

__Sam shifts, sitting up on his knees, suppressing a smirk as he starts slowly undoing the buttons of his flannel._ _

__“I don’t have time for this,” Jody huffs._ _

__Sam chuckles in response, pulling the rest of the buttons out at once before sliding out of his shirt and pulling his v-neck over his head. He doesn’t waste any time from there, pressing a quick kiss to Jody’s chin before helping her out of her shirt, teasing at her bottom lip as he undoes her bra. He trails gentle kisses down her torso as he pushes her slacks down with both hands._ _

__He manages to get them halfway down her thighs before he’s stopped by her knee brace._ _

__He glances down, hoping he’ll be able to remove it without much trouble, but no. There are straps to be undone, and her injury to consider, and he doesn’t want to treat Jody like she’s fragile but he also doesn’t want to hurt her, and --_ _

__He sits up, glancing petulantly at the brace as he makes a purposely exaggerated pouty face. “I don’t know how to sexily remove this,” he admits._ _

__“You and me both,” Jody says, laughing. “Just take it off. You’ll have to put it back on after, though. I don’t want to have to explain how I managed to exacerbate a knee injury while lying down.”_ _

__Sam carefully removes the brace, undoing the straps one by one, gently lifting Jody’s leg to remove it and set it to the side. Her pants come off slowly, too, Sam sliding them down as carefully so as not to jostle her leg. After that he slips off her socks, and by the time Sam has gotten to her underwear, he’s only half hard and figures Jody can’t be faring much better._ _

__“Sorry,” Sam says. “I know this is killing the mood.”_ _

__Jody doesn’t seem particularly upset, though, given the way she’s smiling at him. “I'm sure you can bring the mood back if you set your mind to it,” she says. “I believe in you.”_ _

__It catches him off guard for a moment, hearing those words from her. Even though they’re joking around, both being silly to ease the awkwardness, it feels good to hear someone say those words to him. Feels _really_ good, actually._ _

__He wants to thank her for that. Maybe with his words, later, but for now with his body._ _

__He helps Jody the rest of the way out of her underwear before moving to put the brace back on, gently kissing her injured knee as he does up the final strap. He slides off the bed to rid himself of the rest of his clothes, but as he stands, patting his pockets, he freezes._ _

__“Um,” he says._ _

__“So,” Jody says from her spot on the bed, “your stuff is in your bag, huh?”_ _

__Sam sighs. “Yes.”_ _

__“Which is in the guest bedroom?”_ _

__“Yes,” he admits, cringing._ _

__“Which is at the complete opposite end of the hallway, past both of the girls’ rooms?”_ _

__Sam runs a hand through his hair in exasperation._ _

__Jody laughs, gesturing to the nightstand. “Top drawer.”_ _

__Sam shakes his head, laughing, and grabs a condom and the lube from the drawer before moving back to the bed, setting them off to the side as he resituates himself between her legs. He goes back to kissing Jody as he props himself up on both arms, and she puts both hands in his hair and keeps them there as Sam kisses his way down her body._ _

__“Yep, that’s about where we left off,” Jody gasps._ _

__When he reaches Jody’s hips, Sam shifts so he can move her uninjured leg to the side. He kisses from her knee to the inside of her thigh as he situates himself between her legs, finally moving to part her labia with his fingers._ _

__Sam kisses her clit before flattening his tongue against her, tasting her for the first time. Jody responds by tightening her grip in his hair, and he lets himself focus solely on the smell and taste of her, on the sounds she makes as he moves his tongue in different ways, learning what she likes by the way she responds. Every moan and tug at his hair sends heat spiking through his body, and before long, he’s moaning against her skin with his face pressed against her and rutting against the bed involuntarily._ _

__Jody must have noticed his reaction; she tugs insistently on his hair, urging him up. Sam lets himself be pulled back up toward her and into a kiss. He suspects they’re both beyond clearly articulated wants at this point, but when Jody lets go of his hair with one hand to grab the condom and unceremoniously shove it into his hand, he figures that’s pretty clear as far as nonverbal communication goes._ _

__Sam continues kissing her as he tears the package open, only breaking away when he absolutely has to in order to roll the condom on. He sits back on his knees and reaches for the lube, spreading some on his fingers. She’s already wet, but he wants to be careful, to make everything as good as he can, so he leans forward a little and pushes two fingers inside her, curling them until she gasps. He laughs when she swats at his hand, a little desperately, but he gets the message loud and clear. He pulls his fingers out, shifting to line himself up and push into her slowly, watching her face for any sign of discomfort. Jody has her eyes closed and is breathing hard, and as soon as he’s inside her she wraps her good leg around him, so he figures he’s doing all right. He leans back over, returning to kiss her as he starts moving, building a steady pace._ _

__Jody reaches up to wrap her arms around him, digging her fingers into his shoulderblades. They’re both panting hard as Jody shifts a little like she’s trying to get leverage, fighting against the limited range of motion provided by the brace. She settles on moving her hands to grab Sam’s ass, encouraging him to grind against her, to thrust deeper._ _

__Jody comes gasping Sam’s name, still managing to keep what Sam can only describe as an iron grip on his ass as her whole body shudders. All he can think in that moment, watching her face as she has her head thrown back, lips slightly parted, is that he wants to do this again once her knee is better. He’s so close just imagining the way she’ll be able to squeeze him between her thighs like he suspects they both want her to._ _

__As much as Sam likes that mental image, though, and as much as he loves the way she’s been handling him a bit roughly, when Jody recovers a little, she reaches up brushes his hair back from his face. The gesture is so simple and tender that that’s what does it for him, and he comes with his forehead resting against Jody’s as she gently runs her fingers through his hair._ _

__They both take a few long moments to catch their breath before Jody lets out a little laugh._ _

__“All right, I’ve gotta pee and brush my teeth,” she says, patting his shoulder._ _

__Sam carefully pulls out and flops inelegantly to her side. He watches as she walks into the bathroom and listens to the water run until she comes back out._ _

__“Your turn,” she says. “Spare toothbrush in the cabinet.”_ _

__Sam goes to clean himself up and brush his teeth, too. By the time he’s done, Jody is back in bed with the covers pulled down. He slides in next to her, hooking one leg over hers, throwing his arm across her waist, and pressing a kiss to her cheek before settling his head next to hers with his chin on her shoulder._ _

__He feels so sleepy and happy and _fond_ as he looks at Jody that this time it’s easier to articulate what he wants. He says, “As soon as that brace is off, I want you to stop holding back on manhandling me.”_ _

__Jody turns her head to smile at him. “It’s a deal,” she says. “And next time I won’t make you do _all_ the work, either.”_ _

__Sam scoffs. “That wasn’t work, and if it was, I’d do that job for the rest of my life.”_ _

__Jody reaches over and brushes his hair back from his face again. “I appreciate you being so good to me.”_ _

__In spite of everything, Sam’s caught off guard by that, by the idea that getting what he wants could mean giving something to someone else. He can feel his face flushing as he says, “I don’t -- I mean, you’ve done so much for me, it’s --”_ _

__Jody simply continues looking at him, soft and serious. “I mean it, Sam,” she says. “I appreciate it, just like I appreciate how good you are with the girls. So many people just write them off and treat them like kids, but you don’t. You treat all of us with respect and genuine care. It means a lot to me.”_ _

__Sam doesn’t feel like he should get such effusive praise just for being a decent person. He wonders what all has happened to Jody that he doesn’t know of -- in the time before they met, in the time when he isn’t here -- that his basic kindness is something to be so grateful for. “It’s no problem,” he says, voice catching._ _

__They lie there in silence for a few minutes, Jody idly running her fingers through Sam’s hair, before she says, softly, “You know, if you wanted to, you could st--”_ _

__“Please,” Sam interrupts. “Don’t say it.”_ _

__Jody sighs sadly, but she doesn’t say anything. She continues stroking his scalp, waiting for him to explain, if he wants to._ _

__“It’s not that I don’t want that,” he says, because she deserves an explanation. Because he knows she’ll understand. “It’s that I do. And I’m afraid that if you ask me, I might not be able to leave. I can’t do that, not now. Dean needs me. The world needs me. I just.” He takes a deep breath, lets it out as a sigh. “Can’t.”_ _

__“I know,” Jody says. “But Sam? When you’re no longer needed everywhere else. You’ll always be wanted here.”_ _

__“Thank you,” Sam whispers, so quietly he worries she may not have heard. Either way, Jody turns to kiss the top of his head before sliding an arm around him to pull him closer._ _

__Sam would be content to just stay like this for hours, but he figures he’ll see if that’s what Jody wants, too. He could stand to lighten the mood a little, anyway, so he says, “You know, if you want, we can go another round.”_ _

__“I’m afraid it’s not about ‘want,’” Jody says, a smile tugging at her lips. “As impressed as I am that you can get by on four hours of sleep, I have work in the morning.”_ _

__Sam can’t argue with that, so he pulls the covers up over them and reaches over to turn off the lamp. Within minutes he’s dozed off, still wrapped around Jody, feeling safe and warm and cared for._ _

__He wakes when Jody’s alarm goes off at five in the morning, their limbs still tangled together._ _

__“So,” Jody says, pushing down the covers, “if we hurry, I should have time to sit on your face before work.”_ _

__Sam, still half asleep as he is, doesn’t manage to form a coherent response before Jody continues._ _

__“Actually,” she says, contemplating her knee brace, “You’re young and spry. You do the kneeling.”_ _

__Once he shakes himself the rest of the way awake, Sam is more than happy to oblige. After all, she’s given him something so precious -- something he isn’t sure he can ever properly repay her for, even though he knows she would never expect him to. In spite of what Sam told Claire -- that the opportunity to have a family and a home doesn’t last forever -- even now, Jody is offering to let him into her home and her family and her life. He’s had so many chances already and turned them all down or fucked them up, but she’s still giving him another chance to have something other than hunting._ _

__She’s saying: the monsters will always be there, but this will always be here, too._ _

__So Sam does his best to say thank you._ _

__“Highlight of my day and it’s not even seven a.m.,” Jody says, as she finally pushes herself up out of bed. “Thanks, Sam.”_ _

__Sam grins up at her as he rolls onto his back. “You’re welcome.”_ _

__“So are you, Sam,” Jody says, because she never seems to stop giving Sam the kindness he so desperately wants. “I mean it. You’re welcome here any time.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> s/o to Cecilia for giving Sara 'The Talk'


End file.
